The
famous Blake Lively vsJustin Baldoni case has a new development. On April 2, Judge Lewis J. Liman, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York, dismissed dismissing 10 of the actress’ 13 claims against the actor-director. He eliminated charges such as harassment and defamation while considering breach of contract, retaliation, and aiding and abetting in retaliation for the next civil trial in New York on May 18. Denying harassment claims stating that under California law, it did not hold up because the set of It Ends With Us, where the misconduct allegedly occurred, was in New Jersey.
Why did court dismiss Blake Lively's claims?
According to reports, the judge also told the actress that she was ineligible to level claims of harassment and retaliation because she was an independent contractor rather than an employee. As per a BBC report, the judge reacted to Blake’s defamation allegation against Justin’s lawyer Bryan Freedman and said it did not hold up for a trial. However, Liman found her claims that accused the actor-director of engaging in ‘co-ordinated campaign" to attack her character and reputation, worthy of trial.
Justin Baldoni's legal team reacts
Alexandra Shapiro and Jonathan Bach of Shapiro Arato Bach, the legal team representing Justin in court, reacted to the judge’s decision. In a statement to People, they said the allegations of sexual harassment and defamation were serious and they are grateful to the court for its careful review of facts.
What happened on It Ends With Us set?
Blake accused Justin of sexual misconduct on the sets of their 2024 film
It Ends With Us. She also alleged that Justin hired a PR firm to launch a smear campaign against her to silence her. In response, Justin denied the accusations and filed a $400 million countersuit against Blake for defamation. Her husband, actor Ryan Reynolds, was also named in the case. However, Liman dismissed the $400 million lawsuit filed by Justin and his
Wayfarer team. A separate $250 million defamation suit against The New York Times was also thrown out. The actor had the option to amend and refile the breach of agreement and contract interference claims by June 2025. But, Liman rejected the lawsuit saying that his team had ‘not adequately alleged that Lively's threats were wrongful extortion rather than legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions’.
About It Ends With Us
It Ends With Us follows the story of Lily Bloom (Blake Lively). After her father’s death, she meets a neurosurgeon, Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni). Their love story ‘blooms’ when she finally manages to fulfil her dream of opening a flower shop in Boston. Destiny connects the dots and bridges the gap between Lily and Ryle.
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